LUKE 19:29-44: CHRIST'S ENTRANCE TO JERUSALEM

Parallels to this story are found in Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-11; and John 12:12-18.

Luke 19:29-35.

What do you think about this story of the colt? Acquiring the colt may have been due to miraculous foreknowledge or by a prior arrangement by Jesus. At this time of year, there were many animals for rent because of the influx of pilgrims coming to Jerusalem. It was usual for a rabbi to ride while his followers walked. The fact that it was a previously unridden animal could be for reasons of ritual purity. It was also a fulfillment of prophecy, as specifically spelled out in Matthew and Mark's accounts. See Zechariah 9:9-10.

The historical probability of Jesus purposely posing as the Messiah has been doubted since it would have brought about instant retribution from the Roman authorities. But it has been pointed out that rabbinical writings associating the Zechariah passage with the Messiah come from a much later date. This alone would thus probably not have caused the crowds to react in the manner they did.

Luke 19:36-40. Matthew, Mark and John all add the detail of palm branches, and Matthew and Mark add “Hosanna,” meaning “help” or “save us.”

What do you make of the crowd's reaction?

36. Spreading of cloaks on the ground is reminiscent of the homage paid to King Jehu after he was anointed (2 Kings 9:13).

37. The greeting of the crowd “is loaded with the connotation of Malachi 3:1” according to one commentator. The Malachi passage refers to the messenger who comes to the temple to prepare the way of the Lord – generally felt to refer to John the Baptist.

Another possibility for the intended background is Genesis 49:10-11a.

38. See Luke 13:33-35 for a possibility earlier prophecy of this event. “Blessed is...name of the LORD” is a quotation from Psalm 118:26 – originally used to greet the king as he entered the temple to worship.

On the Feast of Sukkot, palm fronds were waved while crying “hosanna” as a prayer for help in the form of rain for the crops. This doesn't mean that these events occurred at that time of year, however, since years earlier (163 BC), the people celebrated Sukkot out of season to thank God for cleaning of the profaned Temple (as Jesus would soon do). Thus, an agricultural celebration was politicized to celebrate a military victory and the re-establishment of Jewish independence (2 Maccabees 10:5-8).

Do the crowd's words remind you of anything? It is like the song of the angels at Christ's birth (“Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth”) except that peace this time is a heavenly peace. This may imply that peace on earth is no longer possible for Israel (see verses 42-44).

40. Some feel that the reference is to the stones being overthrown in 70 AD, such as prophecied in the next verses.

Read 41-44. What is Jesus talking about here?

Jesus knew they were seeking peace by a different means than he offered.

The political expectations of the crowd were dashed with Jesus' arrest and may help to explain their subsequent turning away from him.

Lessons from the crowd's behavior: (a) They thought they had the future all figured out and (b) They would accept Jesus as long as he would give them prosperity on earth. Fortunately, neither of these misconceptions exist in the church today, or do they?